268 Journal of the Asiatic Society of Bengal. [N.S., XIII, 



But she consents to sacrifice her happiness for the sake of her 

 husband's honour and her adopted country's existence. On the 

 pretext of a hunting expedition Udayana is removed from 

 Lavanaka, and meanwhile the palace of the royal pair is burnt 

 down. The young queen and Yaugandharayana leave the 

 country in disguise. The general opinion is naturallv that both 

 have found their death in the flames. When Udavana is in- 

 formed of the disaster he nearly dies with grief. But thanks to 

 the efforts of his faithful ministers he gradually recovers. 

 Meanwhile the fugitives have left Vatsa behind them. Vasava- 

 datta is disguised as a Brahmin woman under the name 

 Avantika, while Yaugandharavana, who accompanies her, is 

 dressed as a sadhu, and calls himself her brother. Thev arrive 

 m a grove near Rajagriha, the capital of Magadha, at the 

 moment when Padmavati pays a visit to her brother's widowed 

 mother who has retired there. The voung princess grants a 

 boon to everybody present, and Yaugandharavana seizes the 

 opportunity to carry out his scheme. It is of great importance 

 that the two queens should become friends. This would make 

 the final revelation of the truth less painful to all concerned. 

 Inerefore he asks Padmavati to take his sister under her pro- 

 tection until his return from a pilgrimage. He adds that his 

 sister s husband has gone for a journey. The whole plan is 

 very cunningly concocted and worthy of the crafty diplomat, 

 it is true his conscience is sorelv troubled over' the sordid 



fu a TiZ he has to use ! but itis the saving of the state and 

 the fulfilment of the u ill of fate. For it has been predicted by 

 the astrologers that Padmavati should become the wife of 



Udavana. 



This young princess begins to love the king of Vatsa from 

 the moment she hears of his bereavement and his grief. Pity 

 is always a short-cut to tenderer feelings. She would not refuse 



mfort 



At the 



atrt time Vasavadatta's beaut v, noble bearing and sadness 

 awasen m the warm-hearted, enthusiastic girl a great friendship 

 prin Vasavadatta t0 ° fe < '■* deepl v aft racted by the lovable 



Pal .- / avadatta lives at the court of Rajagriha as 



raamavati s friend. After some time Udayana visits Darsaka, 

 radmavati s brother, and king of Magadha. on a political 

 th^ n 'A t * m P resses the latter so much that he is offered 

 „i n 7 ?* Padmavati. Udavana accepts, seeing the great 

 political advantages of this union. Padmavati is overjoyed, 



nnil weddm 8 takes > P^ce after a verv short time. But the 

 poet Keeps our interest concentrated on the drama which takes 

 place in the soul of Vasavadatta. Her love, the strong passion 

 oi the wife who has been happily married, struggles against her 



-l-m M H,s ; Mld.,ty and Ik,. ^, u>u ,-„,. ,, Jl<lmslvat i. She to 



spared nothing; she has to listen to the exuberant talk of the 



